Family Business
by DMBfan
Summary: A horrible accident leaves Jake Baker clinging to life. Health insurance won't cover the Bakers anymore. With his back to the wall, Tom gets a loan from his brother and becomes in debted to the mob. Rated M for strong language and violence
1. Chapter 1

Family Business

This fic is a co-write between myself and xfilesguy. It's full of strong language and violence and serious family angst. We like it. We hope you do too. Please review. Thanks.

_Disclaimer: We do not own Cheaper by the Dozen_

Chapter 1 Dysfunctional

Eleven-year-old Jake Baker groaned as he was tackled again. He winced as he hit the ground.

"Ok, that one hurt," moaned Jake, spitting out his mouth guard. A trail of drool went from the mouth guard to Jake's bottom lip. Jake's brother, Henry, got off him.

"They'll be a lot worse tomorrow," reminded Henry, helping Jake up. Jake swayed a little. He took his helmet off.

"Dad, Henry's been tackling me for an hour. I need to practice throwing," complained Jake. Tom Baker walked over to Jake.

"We already know you can throw. That's why the Evanston Lions are going to the State Championship. But the Chicago Tigers are no pushovers. You're body needs to get ready for some hard hits," explained Tom. Jake sighed.

"Tom, he won't be much help if he breaks a rib," reminded Kate Baker, who was sitting on the bleachers. Jake nodded in agreement.

"Alright let's practice some throwing. Henry, take a break," exclaimed Tom.

"Sure," agreed Henry, walking over to the bleachers. Jake put his helmet back in and put his mouth guard on. Tom started running as Jake got ready to throw. Kate and Henry watched with amazement from the bleachers as Jake threw perfect throws to his father. Jake's talent for football had just recently come to the surface. Right before the start of junior football league the family had faced off against some cousins at a family reunion. Jake was the quarterback and thanks to his throwing the Bakers crushed the team of cousins. 49-14. Tom was insistent that Jake sign up for football. He was one of the smallest on the team but he had the best arm in the league. The big problem was he became the target for some serious defensive rushes. Jake had been spending a lot of time at home icing some major bruises. But his team had a no lose season and now were facing off against their rivals, the Chicago Tigers, who had slaughtered the Lions in pervious years. Jake's throwing was the key to victory and the Tigers knew that. Kate knew that Jake was going to be hurting after the big game the following night.

After three hours of practicing, Jake was exhausted. He limped a little as he headed for the showers. Tom had reserved his college football team's field and locker rooms for the night. Not hard since he was the coach. Tom, Kate, and Henry waited in Tom's office as Jake showered and changed. He came limping into the office after twenty minutes.

"Are we going to eat? I'm starving," whined Jake.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" asked Kate.

"I don't care. As long as they serve food," replied Jake. The four made their way to the car. Jake pulled Kate aside in the parking lot.

"Hey, Mom, is Sarah going to be able to come tomorrow? I really want her to," asked Jake. Kate sighed. Sarah was grounded for a month for talking back to a teacher and getting two months of detention. Grounded meant not allowed to leave the house for anything. No exceptions.

"You know the rule, Jake. She's not allowed to leave the house for anything," answered Kate.

"Can't you make an exception just this once?" pleaded Jake. Kate smiled.

"We'll see. Now lets go. I'm hungry as well," said Kate, pushing Jake towards the car.

"Alright, already. Don't push," whined Jake.

…………

Tom took the group to the Baker's favorite restaurant, Colina's. Tom's cousin Artie ran it. Artie was overjoyed as the family arrived.

"Tommy, hey, long time no see," exclaimed Artie, walking over and throwing his arms around Tom.

"Hey, Artie. Is there a table available?" asked Tom.

"For you, of course. Tony and Jimmy are in the back if you want to say hi," explained Artie, leading the group to a table.

"What are they doing here?" asked Tom, sitting down.

"No restaurant in Chicago can compete with mine," replied Artie in delight.

"Amen to that," agreed Henry.

"Enjoy. Everything is on the house," announced Artie.

"Oh, Artie, you don't have do that," argued Kate.

"It's the least I can do for our star quarterback here," said Artie, ruffling Jake's hair.

"So you heard?" asked Jake.

"Everyone in town knows. You're a hero," explained Artie. Jake shrugged.

"Enjoy, guys," said Artie, heading towards the kitchen.

"You dumb fucking asshole!" Tom sighed as the shout came from the back.

"There's Jimmy," groaned Tom.

"You fucking look at me when I'm talking to you!" continued Jimmy.

"Boys, cover your ears," groaned Kate, wincing at the strong language. A college age kid came bursting in from the back, nursing a broken nose. Jimmy Baker came bursting in a few seconds later.

"Don't come back unless you have my fucking money you little shit!" yelled Jimmy. Artie ran over to calm Jimmy down.

"Jim, easy, easy. I've got customers," whispered Artie.

"Sorry. Fucking kid pissed me off," replied Jimmy.

"Your brother is here," explained Artie. Jimmy looked at Tom.

"Ah shit. And with Kate and two of the kids," moaned Jimmy. Jimmy's older brother Tony came rushing in from the back.

"Have you lost your fucking mind?" asked Tony.

"I'm tired of dealing with that kid, Tony," retorted Jimmy.

"This is not the place to pull this kind of shit," growled Tony.

"Sorry, Sorry," apologized Jimmy, going into the back. Artie pointed towards Tom.

"Hey, big brother," exclaimed Tony, walking over to Tom's table.

"Hey, Tony," said Tom, standing up and embracing his brother.

"Celebrating a special occasion or something?" asked Tony.

"Treating our star quarterback," beamed Tom, nodding towards Jake.

"That's right. Our own John Elway here," said Tony, ruffling Jake's hair. Jake shrugged.

"He's so modest," sighed Tom. Tony laughed.

"Well you all enjoy. Sorry for that scene. You know how he gets," apologized Tony. Tom nodded. Tony smiled and headed towards the back. Tom sat down.

"Another charming evening with your brothers," groaned Kate.

"I know Jimmy is a little rough around the edges. But he's a good guy," defended Tom.

"What's he do?" asked Jake.

"My brothers are in construction. They deal with a lot of off the book jobs so people pay in cash. Jimmy gets mad if people don't pay on time," answered Tom.

"Construction?" Come on, Dad," pleaded Henry,

"What?" asked Tom impatiently.

"He has mobster written all over him," replied Henry.

"That's uncalled for. Just because my Dad is part Italian doesn't mean we're connected to the mafia," scolded Tom.

"We're part Italian?" asked Jake.

"You are. I'm half. My brothers are basically Italian. My father is full blooded Italian," explained Tom.

"Baker is Dad's middle name. We took it because we wanted to sever ourselves from his brothers just because they're a little crazy," added Kate.

"I know that. What's your actual last name?" asked Henry.

"Cortoli," answered Tom.

"Henry Cortoli. Doesn't sound right," groaned Henry.

"I'm not like my brothers. Never will be. They do dabble in some illegal activities. It wasn't fair for me to snap at you. But we don't mention it because it's none of our business," explained Tom.

"This doesn't leave the table," ordered Kate. Jake and Henry nodded, giving each other nervous looks. They and three other of their siblings had figured that their uncles were involved in illegal activities. They had never given it much thought. But the spectacle tonight shed new light on the whole situation. Just how involved were their uncles. A kid has nose broken over a missed payment. Seemed kind of harsh for something like construction. Things got even more interesting as Jimmy came back out, arguing with a friend of his, Mikey.

"You're insane," exclaimed Jimmy, walking towards the bar.

"Tigers are a better team. There's nothing else to it. Lions got lucky," explained Mikey.

"Tigers might be a better team. But they're QB sucks compared to the Lions," argued Jimmy. Tom smiled. Jake shook his head.

"They act like I'm in the NFL," whined Jake.

"Please. The Tigers defensive line will make mince meat out of him," scoffed Mikey. Jimmy scoffed and went to talk with his family. Mikey headed to the back.

"Hey, Jake. Got something for you," announced Jimmy. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case. Jake smiled as Jimmy handed it to him.

"What's this?" asked Jake.

"Open it and find out," replied Jimmy. Jake opened the case. Inside was Rolex watch.

"Oh my God. That's a Rolex," exclaimed Kate. Jimmy nodded.

"Congratulations on a great season," said Jimmy. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Thanks," said Jake, putting the watch on. Jimmy said goodbye and then headed for the front door. No doubt going to get his money, thought Tom. Tom watched with pride as his son looked at his new watch. It was nice that usually all encounters with his brothers were nice. If his family knew who they were. If they knew they were cold blooded animals. Tom had turned his back to that life. He had no way of knowing that soon, his brother's, the most violent people Tom knew, would be Jake's only chance for survival.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for those who reviewed. And thanks Donny304 and FudgeBrownie for helping us write. Thanks a lot. Please review.

Chapter 2 The Big Game

Jimmy blew smoke out of his mouth as he drove towards the usual hang out. A sleazy bar called Gooma, which served as not only a hideout, but also as a major moneymaker for the family. The feds had tried to wiretap the Gooma but had never had an opportunity to get in unnoticed or send in a man undercover. Tony made sure the Gooma was under constant watch. The owner of the Gooma was one of the most trusted soldiers outside of the family, Sergio Dante. Sergio had about as much respect as Jimmy. Right under Sergio was Vinny Alconti and Frankie Meretti, two loyal captains who would bend over backwards for the brothers Cortoli. Although Tony was the official boss of the family, no one gave Jimmy any crap. He was next in line if anything should happen to Tony. Three lower soldiers were regulars at the Gooma. Although they weren't as powerful and didn't have as much respect as everyone above them, they still fit in well with the main guys. First off was Sonny Alconti, Vinny's nephew and right hand man. Sonny was next in line to take over Vinny's crew and all of Vinny's businesses once Vinny retired or got promoted. Working as second in command of Frankie's crew was Salvatore "Sal" Vendetti. Sal had once been a top earner but he got arrested and convicted for gun running and manslaughter and ended up serving fifteen years in a maximum-security prison. He was lucky that Tony let him back on a crew. Finally there was Vito DiAngelo, a loyal captain who had the misfortune of being related to a notorious FBI informant. Vito's brother, Vin, had turned federal witness and snitch four years earlier which led to eight major arrests and a countless number of hits. Tony had barely managed to keep the family from falling apart. Despite all that, Vito still remained loyal to his family and would do anything for his bosses.

The group was involved in a high stakes card game as Jimmy walked into the club.

"Who's winning?" asked Jimmy, climbing over the bar and helping himself to a drink.

"This motherless fuck here," snapped Sergio as he pointed to Vinny.

"Is it my fault you can't play cards for shit?" asked Vinny. The table burst into laughter.

"Yeah laugh it up you prick," groaned Sergio as he threw his cards down. Jimmy laughed as he took his drink to the back. Jimmy's younger brother Jackie, who served as Jimmy's right hand man, was counting some money with Sonny.

"Hey, Jack. How's tomorrow's game looking?" asked Jimmy. Jack looked up from what was he doing.

"If Jake kicks ass like he's been doing then we got some serious cash coming towards us. This was a smart move to make. Betting on a junior football game," explained Jackie.

"Hey, if the stakes are high enough then we're talking some serious betting," added Jimmy.

"Hear what Mikey did?" asked Sonny.

"Besides being an asshole and betting against the Lions?" asked Jimmy.

"Son of a bitch stole money from Vinny's crew," explained Sonny. Jimmy paused for a moment. How could that have gotten past him?

"When did this happen?" asked Jimmy.

"Just today. I didn't tell Vinny about it because I knew he'd have Mikey's balls in a vice in no time," replied Sonny. Jimmy threw his glass and the bottle of whiskey he had taken against the wall.

"That piece of shit. Oh he's so dead. How much did he take?" exclaimed Jimmy.

"25,000," answered Jackie.

"And he thought he could get away with this how?" asked Jimmy.

"He didn't know I was watching him," replied Sonny.

"OK. Tell Vinny that this happened. Tell him to hang for a second and let me run this by Tony," ordered Jimmy. Sonny and Jackie nodded as Jimmy went into the private office that was used by either Jimmy or Tony. Why did he let shit like this happen?

…………..

The following day, all the Bakers are at the stadium for the Championship game. Jake is nervous.

Sarah was allowed to go as long as she doesn't complain about being

grounded anymore.

Jake takes a deep breathe and sighs. He looks into the stands which is

packed. He sees at least eight hundred people there. He puts his helmet

on and goes to take the field. His team won the coin toss and they

decided to recieve.

Jake calls the play. WR Zinger Post. The offensiveline men get set Jake

takes his place behind the center to take the snap. He looks at the

linebackers who are much bigger then Jake and weight more then he does. This was going to be tough. Jake calls hike. The ball slips out of his hand. The defense recovers the

fumble. The first quarter doesn't go well for Jake. He has a fumble,

and two interceptions.

In the stands…

"What's wrong with Jake?" Mike asked Charlie.

"He's nervous." Charlie explained.

"Why?" Mike then asked him in the annoying, little kid way, where they ask you why after everything.

"Because that defense is much larger then him and weigh more then him. Because he looks like a shrimp compared to them, and he's making the team look bad and—"

Sarah started.

"Sarah!" Kate snapped angrily, "You know Jake's not even tat certain he likes football, so keep his confidence up!"

"He can't hear me!" Sarah retorted.

"Sarah!" Tom said sternly, and she sighed.

"Sorry. Get it Mike?"

"Uh huh." Mike replied.

The second quarter starts off with The Chicago Tigers up 14-0. The

Evaston Lions are hoping Jake gets his shit together.

"Jake, you need to focus." Tom told him.

"I'm trying!" Jake replied, exasperated, "It's not easy, they're like ten feel tall!"

"Don't let The Bears get into your head." Tom then told him, "Just focus on the ball."

Jake nods in agreement and goes onto the field, not sending even one glance back to his father.

Jake calls the play. Playaction Dig Dag. When the ball is hiked Jake

takes a monster hit. When he gets up he holds his side. And shakes the

cobwebs out of his head. When he gets to the sidelines for the next play

Tom is worried about him.

"You okay Jake?" Tom asked him.

Jake nods his head, gritting his teeth. "Just a rough hit, that's all."

Jake calls the next play and takes another big hit. This time it takes

him a little longer to get up.

"Jake doesn't look so good." Sarah said to Mike.

"Maybe he's sick." Mike said to her.

"Or maybe he's hurt and doesn't want to come out of the game." Sarah

rolled her eyes. "He's trying to be macho and grin and bear it. Not smart."

"If he's hurt he shouldn't be playing." Mike cocked his head to one side and watched his brother on the field.

On the next play Jake throws another interception and the Bears run it

in for another touchdown and it's now 21-0. It's now halftime. In the Lions locker room Tom is sitting next to Jake. Jake has his head

in his hands.

"You okay Jake?" Tom asked him, crouching down so they were face to face.

"I'm fine." Jake told him, but Tom didn't believe him.

"Jake, I'll talk to the coach and have you sit the bench." Tom said to

him.

"No, I'm fine." Jake snapped at him, sucking in his breath in an effort to lessen the pain. "It's no big deal, I'm not a baby. I can handle it."

Tom walks away from Jake, shaking his head at his son's stubbornness. The Lions come out of the locker room. The Lions kickoff to the Bears. The Bears go three and out. Jake takes the field. He calls the play. Tango Ranger Zig Zag. He throws a sixty yard touchdown pass. After he throws the ball he grabs his stomach because he's in pain, but quickly straightens up in an effort to hide it.

The score is now 21-7. The Bears throw an interception and the Lions get the ball back. The Lions have to settle for a fieldgoal. It's now 21-10. It's the end of the third quarter. The Lions get the ball back after a Bear fumble. Jake drives his team down the field and runs it himself. The score is now 21-17.

The Bears offense can't do anything since that interception at the end of the first half until two minutes left in the game. The Bears are driving and on a 3 down with 5 yards to go they gain twenty yards but, they get called for offensive holding. It's now 3 down and 15 yards to go. Holding is a ten yard penalty.

The Bears try for a pass but, it's deflected. The Bears must now punt. The Lions are pinned on their own one yard line and have

Ninety-nine yards to go and they have one minute to do all that. Jake drives his

team to the Bears thirty yard line with seven seconds left. The end zone

is only thirty yards away. Jake gets the ball and drops back. It's a

blitz and Jake has to chuck the ball. He chucks it as he's getting hit.

The opposing players helmet goes into his stomach as they hit the

ground.

Jake is now in blinding pain holding his stomach. He had to bite on his shirt sleeve to stop himself from screaming. _Stupid, stupid, stupid… _he thinks in agony as he lays unmoving. The pain was almost unbearable, and he had to force away the tears. No way could he get up now.

The pass is caught. The Lions win 24-21.

The crowd is celebrating. Tom notices that Jake hasn't got up yet. Now,

Kate notices this and runs on the field. Charlie and Nora have to keep

the younger Bakers in the stands.

Tom rushes to Jake's side.

"Jake!" Tom yelled.

"Dad, my stomach hurts really bad." Jake cried with tears in his eyes. "Don't touch it!" he snapped when his father made a move to touch his stomach.

"Can you stand?" Tom asked him, his expression now not that of a proud, happy father of a football player, but the worried, scared face of a Dad.

"No, it hurts." Jake told him. "Dad, it hurts really bad. Make it stop…"

Tom helps Jake up. Jake takes his helmet off and his mouth piece out of

his mouth and coughs up blood. He falls to his knees and clutches his stomach.

"You're going to the hospital." Tom said to him. "This is serious."

Kate is now on the field next to Jake.

"You okay, Sweetie?" Kate asked him.

"Mom, I can't even stand." Jake cried, "What's…what's wrong with me?"

"Let's get him to the hospital." Kate said to Tom.

"I was thinking the same thing." Tom said as he scooped up Jake and put

him in the backseat of the minivan. Jake is moaning in pain and barely conscious of what was going on.

Sarah, Mike, Charlie, Henry Nigel and Kyle are in the minivan with

Jake. Sarah and Mike try to offer words of comfort, but Jake doesn't respond. He's just clutching his stomach with his eyes shut tight.

Sarah told Jake he should take his shoulder pads off, and helps him take them off. With his jersey on without the shoulder pads, Mike thinks Jake looks really small, like a little boy in pain, and he thinks about what Sarah said earlier.

He can tell Sarah is thinking the same and regretting it.

Kate is driving her own car with Kim, Jessica, Lorraine and Mark. Nora and her boyfriend Donald are right behind them.

They check Jake into the hospital. Jake wouldn't let anyone touch his stomach, but they eventually got an x-ray done. By now, Jake keeps angrily wiping away his tears, mad at himself for being such a baby. But it _hurt_ so much!

After examining the survey, the doctors, including the main surgeon Dr. Gordon, told the Bakers that Jake had a ruptured spleen and it had to be removed immediately. Jake listens with wide eyes, and Kate looks at her son in sympathy.

"What?" Jake said shrilly, his voice cracking. "Surgery? No!"

"Jake, you have to!" Kate says soothingly, putting a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder. "It's necessary, or you're going to be in a lot more pain."

"No…Mom, I can't! I don't want to Mom…please don't make me…" Jake begged, still clutching his stomach.

This was one of the worst things Kate had to deal with. Her son was begging her to not make him go, and she had to make him. It was a hard thing to do. "Jake, the pain will go away!"

"But…Mom…I can't…" Jake stuttered, searching for an explanation. Then he totally forgot the surgery thing, moving on to something bigger. He looked up at the doctor, his puppy-god brown eyes clouded with pain. "Am I going to die?" he asked, "I mean, die from this? What is a ruptured spleen?"

"Jake, you need to go into surgery, that's all I can say." The doctor replied.

Jake stared down at his shoes and nodded, slowly. "Okay." He muttered.

They prep Jake for surgery and take him to the OR. Kate waves goodbye, and he waves back before disappearing into the swinging doors to the OR.

"Mom, is Jake going to be okay?" Sarah asked Kate, her voice full of concern for her little brother.

"He'll be fine." Kate said to her, not sure even if this was true.

Tom walks over to Kate and takes her aside, gently.

"The surgery is going to be pricy." Tom told her, glancing over to the kids to make sure they hadn't heard. "Health Insurance won't cover all of it.

"We can't afford it," Kate said to him, her face turning pale. "Tom, what are we going to do?"

"We'll need a little help." Tom said to her reassuringly, "But don't worry."

"I'll call my parents." Kate replied immediately, hoping her parents could help.

"I'll see what I can scrounge up at home," assured Tom. "We need to remain positive." He had no idea that soon his back would be to the wall and he would a decision that would change the Bakers lives forever.


	3. Chapter 3

I resurrected Family Business. Yay. Sorry about letting this fall off the radar. I'm going to do my best to keep it going. Reviews help in motivation.

Chapter 3 Money Problems

"That's all you can give me!" Tom listened with disbelief as a representative from his HMO explained to him they could only cover one surgery. Jake would need at least three. His gallbladder was failing too. If the hospital didn't get paid soon, they couldn't operate on Jake. Tom considered calling Tony or Jimmy but knew that would only cause more problems.

"No, thank you. I understand." Tom hung up, muttering under his breath. How was he supposed to pay for all these surgeries without help from his HMO? Hopefully Kate's parents could help out a lot. Tom returned to the waiting room where most of the kids were playing cards. Kate was on the phone with her mom.

"No, he's in surgery right now." Kate motioned for Tom to wait a second.

"His spleen needed to come out." Kate sighed as her mother rambled on.

"He's been in surgery for an hour now. He should be out in another hour or so." Kate fought back a sigh.

"Yes, Mom, our HMO will pay for that surgery." She rolled her eyes as Patricia Gilbreth complained about something else.

"No, I don't think you'll be able to talk to him when he's out of surgery. He'll be too doped up." There was another pause and more groans from Kate.

"There's some pretty bad internal injuries. He'll need more surgery for sure. " Kate shook her head as her mother preached to her.

"Jake's an active eleven-year-old boy Mom. Eleven-year-old boys sometimes get hurt." Kate nodded as her mother agreed to something.

"OK, thanks Mom. Hopefully he won't need anymore after that." Kate said goodbye and hung up, smiling at Tom.

"My parents will pay for whatever surgery comes next. But that still leaves two more."

"We'll worry about that when the times comes," replied Tom, sighing in relief. He had been worried there for awhile.

………...

The surgery ended after two hours. Jake's surgeons carefully stitched up his stomach, wiping off some blood along the way. Jake had done very well and was very stable. The tube was taken out of his mouth and throat and he was carefully moved onto a gurney. Jake groaned as he opened his eyes.

"I want to see my mom," whined Jake.

"You'll see here soon, Jake," promised a nurse. Jake groaned as he was settled down in his bed. His stomach was tender and Jake cried out as he touched it. He forced a smile when Kate showed up and kissed him on the forehead.

"You did so great, dude," exclaimed Kate. Jake laughed weakly.

"I was passed out with a tube in my mouth. The doctors did all the work," replied Jake. Kate smiled and rubbed Jake's head.

"Try to get some sleep. Your body needs to heal," explained Kate.

"I'm not tried. I just need to-" Jake's eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep. Kate got comfortable as she got ready for her all night vigil.

……………..

"It's fucking cold. Are we almost there?" asked Vinny from the backseat of Jimmy's car.

"It's just up ahead," explained Jimmy. He looked over at Sonny, who had been giving driving duties for the night.

"You OK?" asked Jimmy.

"Yeah. Just got to pay attention. The road's easy to miss," replied Sonny.

"So who we burying again?" asked Mikey who was squeezed in the back with Vinny.

"Johnny Multini. The son of a bitch crossed the line," explained Jimmy.

"Stole some money from the club. Can you believe the balls on that prick?" asked Vinny in disgust.

"Hope we're not pulled over with a body in the trunk," groaned Mikey.

"That would suck," agreed Jimmy as Sonny pulled onto the remote road that led to an old barn.

"Place gives me the fucking creeps," complained Vinny.

"It's one of our best dumping grounds," explained Jimmy as Sonny brought the car to a stop.

"Pop the trunk. MIkey, go grab Johnny," ordered Jimmy as she stepped out of the car. Mikey got out and went to the back of the car. Johnny Multini had been shot twice in the head by Jimmy earlier in the evening. It was now time to put him in his final resting place.

"Grave's already dug," explained Jimmy as MIkey followed him.

"This fucker is heavy," complained MIkey. Two of Jimmy's men had been by earlier in the day and had dug a grave for Johnny. MIkey groaned as he dropped MIkey into the shallow hole.

"Rest in peace, asshole," muttered MIkey as he turned around. His three companions had surrounded him. They looked pissed.

"What the fuck?" asked Mikey. Jimmy and Vinny drew their guns. Sonny quickly followed suit.

"You stole some money from me, motherfucker?" asked Vinny,

"Vinny, please. I-"

"Save it. This is strike three, MIkey. We're sick of your bullshit," interrupted Jimmy.

"You've cost this family a lot," added Vinny.

"Time to pay your debt," finished Sonny. Before MIkey could respond, Jimmy started firing. Vinny and Sonny followed and Mikey fell backwards into the grave in a shower of blood. Jimmy stepped forward and fired two more shots into Mikey's head on principal. God he had hated that guy. Sonny and Vinny quickly filled up the hole, burying MIkey and Johnny forever.

"A job well done, boys," exclaimed Jimmy as they walked back to the car. He took out his cell phone and dialed Tony's number. Tony picked up after one ring.

"Any problems?" asked Tony.

"Not a one," replied Jimmy. Tony hung up after that. Jimmy sighed as he got back into the car. The ride back home was quiet.

………………

Tom and Kate waited patiently as Dr. Harry Gordon got Jake files together.

"Mr. and Mrs. Baker, I'm going to be honest with you. Jake is going to be in and out of surgery for awhile. That blow to his stomach caused some serious problems," began Gordon. Kate fought back a cry.

"Tomorrow his gallbladder needs to come out. From there we'll be keeping an eye on his pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestines," explained Gordon.

"What are we looking at as far as financial damage?" asked Tom.

"It's going to be pricy. Now we can help as much as we can but you should start crunching some numbers," replied Gordon. His pager went off.

"I have a patient to attend to. Here are Jake's files. Take all the time you need looking them over," explained Gordon.

"Thank you," replied Tom. Gordon nodded and left.

"Tom, our little boy," cried Kate.

"We'll get through this, Kate," assured Tom. Kate wasn't bothering to fight back the tears now.

"I'm going to make a call. I'll be right back," assured Tom. Kate nodded. Tom gave Kate a comforting smile and then walked into the hallway. He took out his cell phone and dialed a number. The person on the other end picked up after one ring.

"Hello?"

"Tony, it's Tom. I need to have a serious meeting with you."


	4. Chapter 4

Hope you all enjoy chapter 4. Thank you to all who reviewed. Keep them coming.

Chapter 4 Welcome to the Family

Tom didn't feel comfortable as he pulled into the parking lot of the Gooma. It was well after midnight and only a few cars were left in the parking lot. Two of Jimmy's men were waiting for Tom near the front entrance. Tom sighed and stepped out of the car. The moon was the only source of light at the moment and Tom was worried someone would jump out of the shadows at him. Of course nothing happened and Tom managed to walk up to the me. He recognized one of them as Jimmy's old friend, Salvatore "Sal" Vendetti.

"Sal, good to see you," greeted Tom as he stuck out his hand. Sal smiled and took Tom's hand in his massive grip.

"Tommy, long time no see. This handsome smuck here is my good friend Gino," introduced Sal as he motioned to the huge man standing next to him. Gino simply nodded.

"Tony and Jimmy are waiting inside," explained Sal. He and Gino led Tom into the building. Sergio and Sonny were counting money by the bar. Sergio waved at Tom. Tom nodded. Vinnye, Frankie, and Vito had a card game going.

"Read it and weep, motherfuckers," grinned Vinny as he revealed a full house. Vito and Frankie threw their cards down in disgust.

"Fuck you, Vinny," snapped Frankie as he took a drink.

"Blow me," replied Vinny as he collected his money. "How you doing, Tommy?"

"Pretty good, Vinny, thanks," replied Tom. It disgusted Tom that he knew these guys. Low lifes ever single one of them. Sal led Tom to the back room. Tony and Jimmy were quietly talking to a heavyset man in a three piece suit. Tom tried to remember the man's name. He wanted to say Mario.

"We'll talk later, Mario," assured Tony. He nodded at Tom. Mario shook Tom and Jimmy's hands and then left. Tom took a seat in front of his brothers. He suddenly felt very nervous. Sal left the brothers in peace.

"Want a drink?" asked Jimmy as he poured himself some scotch.

"No thanks," replied Tom.

"We're really sorry about Jake. Man that fucking sucks," exclaimed Tony. Tom nodded.

"That's actually why I'm here. I need to borrow some money to pay some medical bills," began Tom. Jimmy sighed as he took a drink. Tony leaned back in his chair.

"How much we talking here, Tommy?" asked Jimmy.

"A lot. Well over seventy-five thousand," explained Tom.

"Fuck me," replied Jimmy.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. I'm gonna go. I-" Tom started to stand up.

"Sit down, Tommy," interrupted Tony. Tom sighed and sat down.

"That's a lot of money, little brother. A lot of money," explained Tony. Tom nodded.

"But you need it to pay for Jake's surgeries?" asked Tony. Tom nodded.

"He's going to need some major operations," explained Tom. "Kate's parents are paying for the one tomorrow."

"Which one is that?" asked Jimmy.

"His gallbladder needs to come out," replied Tom.

"And after that?" asked Tony.

"Probably his intestinal tract will need some work," answered Tom, his voice becoming gruff. He could see Jimmy getting a little choked up. He had a soft spot for Jake.

"He needs help guys," explained Tom. Jimmy leaned towards Tony and whispered something. Tony groaned but Tom could tell he thought whatever Jimmy was saying was a good idea. Tony closed his eyes and nodded.

"OK, Tom. We can give you this money. But you're going to come work for Jimmy," explained Tony. Tom raised an eyebrow.

"What?" asked Tom.

"I need a driver. You drive me around all day. Do some odd jobs for me here and there. Come back to the family, Tom and we'll take care of Jake," explained Jimmy. Tom sank down in his seat. That was a huge price to pay. He would basically be joining the mob. Hell he would be joining the mob. But one of his children needed help. And this could secure the family for the future. Tom sighed.

"You won't be a high level member, Tom. You'll be my assistant," explained Jimmy. Tom nodded.

"I'll do it. Damnit I'll do it," exclaimed Tom. Jimmy smiled and took another drink. Tony nodded in approval.

"But you understand, Tom. Once you join this family, there's no turning back," warned Jimmy. Tom nodded. He knew what was at stake.

"We'll be in touch," explained Tony. Tom nodded. He shook his brothers hands and then left.

"You really think this is a good idea?" asked Tony.

"You're the boss, Tony. If you didn't like it you would have said no," replied Jimmy.

"Smartass," snapped Tony.

……………..

Kate watched as Jake slept. His breathing was normal and he seemed to be at peace. But he didn't seem to be relaxed. It was odd. And he had just ahd surgery. Not being to control herself Kate took another look at Jake's surgical wound. She hated looking at the stitches holding her son's stomach together but at the same time she couldn't look away, It was hard for her to see Jake like this. He was usually so strong and brave. Kate looked up as someone knocked on the door. Charlie was standing right outside.

"Charlie, come in," exclaimed Kate as she wiped some tears out of her eyes. Charlie slowly walked into the room. He groaned as he looked at Jake.

"Dad called. Uncle Jimmy is going to help out," explained Charlie.

"Good," replied Kate as Charlie sat down.

"Mom, do we really want to get involved with Jimmy and his people?" asked Charlie. Charlie wasn't stupid. He knew who Jimmy was.

"We have no other choice. Jake needs some serious help," explained Kate.

"Lorraine and I could get jobs," offered Charlie.

"There's no way you could make enough," replied Kate with a frown. "Thanks for offering though."

'What time is his surgery tomorrow?" asked Charlie.

"Noon. Shouldn't take too long but this is just the second in a whole line of them," explained Kate. Jake sighed in his sleep and licked his lips. He was oblivious of the long struggle ahead of him. Kate was envious of that. Jake was in for a long journey. And Kate prayed that everything would go well.


End file.
